(Video) Brett McFarland wrote a song about the Wiyot massacre | Lost coastal items

Brett McFarland press release:

165 years after the brutal February 26, 1860, massacre of Wiyot men, women and children on the island of Tuluwat and the neighboring villages, a new song is created, inspired by the Wiyot -Stammesmes member Alan Miller Coonskin's family history and work to help his people heal.

As a program director for a recovery house in Bear River, Alan Indigene's parishioners who come from prison and the healing from her trauma rehab helps and prepares to return home in a good way. Confronting the effects of the multi -fermentation trauma in his community is not an easy task, but that is exactly what Alan devoted his life.

When you saw Brett McFarland's music video for the Humboldt song, you may have noticed Alan and some of the men from the recreational house who stand with their eel hooks. During the filming of this video, Brett learned details about Alan's family history for the first time.

“When we turned the Humboldt video, we sometimes spent a whole day to get a few seconds of film material,” Brett recalls. “But since we had the camera to roll, we started to interview the people we shot about their experiences in Humboldt. We heard so many interesting and touching stories, but what we heard from some of the indigenous community members met me so deep that I still lie awake at night. “

When Brett Alan asked how he felt while living in Humboldt, Alan replied: “This is my home. The home of my family. “Then, visibly emotional, Alan told how his great-grandmother Zowishwish in the night of Tuluwat Island's massacre swung pregnantly. He explained that he was only here because of the strength of the women on both sides of his family. He also informed him of first-hand about life in the boarding school.

“When I listened to Alan, who told his story,” says Brett, “it converted a tragic historical event into something deeply personal.”

These stories gave Brett Chills, and shortly afterwards he turned to Chuck Petty, Executive Director of Humboldt Historical Society to ask if they reported a copy of Bret Hartes newspaper articles from 1860 on the massacre.

“I was hoping to include a picture of the article in the Humboldt Music Video,” reveals Brett. “But Chuck told me that they didn't. “No problem,” I said. “Every old ancient newspaper article about the massacre could work.” But Chuck told me that they didn't have that either. He said
'There are no such articles. After driving the old Bret hard out of the city, they buried it pretty well. Only about 20 years ago it was reappeared in the news. “

“Chuck to hear that that blew me away. Then I knew that I had to write a song about it. “

Brett's latest song “Street Signs” was inspired by these stories that appeared during the training of the video for Humboldt. The aim is to heal the community by not only bringing awareness, but also an emotional connection to the tragedy. The song also illuminates people like Alan who work tirelessly to honor both the living and the dead through the service of their community.

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